脱节

• Pinyin: tuō jié
• Hanzi breakdown: 脱 = 月 (flesh/body) + 兑 (exchange, shed); 节 = 艹 (grass) + 即 (then, joint)

Meaning

To come apart; to be disconnected; to be out of sync. A break in continuity or coordination between things that should be linked.

Used for physical disconnection (a joint coming apart) and — much more commonly — abstract disconnection: theory and practice falling out of sync, supply not matching demand, knowledge being outdated relative to the real world. 理论与实践脱节 (theory detached from practice) is a near-set phrase in Chinese academic and policy discourse.

Examples

1. 课程内容与实际工作需求严重脱节，毕业生难以直接上手。 The course content is severely out of sync with actual workplace needs, making it hard for graduates to hit the ground running.
2. 政策制定者如果与基层实际情况脱节，政策效果就会大打折扣。 If policy-makers become disconnected from grassroots reality, policy effectiveness will be greatly diminished.
3. 他在国外待了十年，回来后发现自己和国内社会有些脱节。 After ten years abroad, he returned to find that he was somewhat out of sync with domestic society.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, policy, professional, personal

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 教学内容应与时俱进，不能和社会需求脱节。(Teaching content should keep pace with the times and not fall out of sync with social needs.)
• 他的思维方式已经和当下年轻人的生活完全脱节了。(His way of thinking is completely out of sync with how young people live today.)

Don't Say

• 用'脱节'形容个人意见不一致 (脱节 describes structural disconnection, not mere disagreement — for different opinions use 分歧 or 意见不同)

Origin & History

Compound of 脱 (come off, detach) + 节 (joint, section). Literally 'a joint coming loose,' metaphorically extended to any break in coherent linkage.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal